﻿278 
  Transactions, 
  — 
  -Zoology, 
  

  

  fish 
  already 
  mentioned. 
  This 
  agrees 
  with 
  the 
  opinion 
  expressed 
  by 
  Sir 
  

   Humplirey 
  Davy, 
  as 
  mentioned 
  in 
  Dr. 
  Hamilton's 
  British 
  Fishes, 
  which 
  is, 
  

   that 
  when 
  trout 
  " 
  feed 
  much 
  on 
  hard 
  substances, 
  such 
  as 
  larv^ 
  and 
  their 
  

   cases, 
  and 
  the 
  ova 
  of 
  other 
  fish, 
  they 
  have 
  more 
  red 
  spots 
  and 
  redder 
  fins, 
  

   and 
  that 
  when 
  they 
  feed 
  most 
  on 
  small 
  fish 
  and 
  on 
  flies, 
  they 
  have 
  more 
  

   tendency 
  to 
  be 
  spotted 
  with 
  small 
  black 
  spots 
  and 
  are 
  generally 
  more 
  

   silvery." 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Water 
  of 
  Leith, 
  when 
  first 
  opened 
  for 
  fishing, 
  the 
  trout 
  were 
  of 
  a 
  

   fine 
  appearance, 
  colours 
  being 
  bright 
  and 
  the 
  red 
  spots 
  large, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  

   falling 
  ofi' 
  in 
  this 
  respect, 
  at 
  least 
  as 
  regards 
  average-sized 
  fish, 
  and 
  during 
  

   spawning 
  they 
  all 
  assume 
  a 
  darker 
  or 
  greyish 
  hue. 
  This 
  water 
  flows 
  

   through 
  bush, 
  and 
  its 
  bed 
  is 
  one 
  mass 
  of 
  trap 
  rock, 
  boulders, 
  and 
  small 
  

   stones. 
  No 
  doubt 
  a 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  the 
  feed 
  is 
  in 
  flies, 
  caterpillars, 
  and 
  

   slugs, 
  and 
  also, 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  pools, 
  smelts. 
  

  

  The 
  trout 
  in 
  the 
  Lee 
  Stream 
  also, 
  when 
  it 
  was 
  opened 
  for 
  fishing 
  in 
  1875, 
  

   were, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  of 
  a 
  handsomer 
  shape 
  and 
  colour 
  than 
  they 
  now 
  are. 
  The 
  

   females, 
  of 
  2 
  lbs. 
  and 
  upwards, 
  were 
  silvery 
  on 
  their 
  sides, 
  very 
  fat, 
  and 
  

   had 
  small 
  well-formed 
  heads, 
  a 
  few 
  red 
  spots 
  also 
  along 
  the 
  sides. 
  The 
  

   males 
  were 
  dark 
  olive 
  brown 
  on 
  the 
  back, 
  golden 
  yeUow 
  on 
  the 
  sides, 
  and 
  

   pure 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  belly. 
  They 
  had, 
  and 
  still 
  have, 
  numerous 
  black 
  spots, 
  

   and 
  large 
  red 
  or 
  crimson 
  spots 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  below 
  the 
  lateral 
  line. 
  The 
  

   adipose 
  fin 
  in 
  these 
  and 
  the 
  trout 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  rivers 
  is 
  tinged 
  with 
  

   red, 
  and 
  is 
  distinguished 
  by 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  dark 
  brown 
  spots. 
  The 
  tail 
  

   also 
  has 
  a 
  few 
  dark 
  spots, 
  generally 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  margin. 
  The 
  

   males 
  in 
  this 
  stream, 
  when 
  in 
  good 
  condition, 
  are 
  very 
  handsome 
  fish, 
  the- 
  

   head 
  though 
  large 
  is 
  not 
  unusually 
  so. 
  The 
  bed 
  of 
  this 
  river 
  is 
  mostly 
  rocky, 
  

   but 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  water 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  gravelly 
  than 
  below 
  the 
  Accommodation 
  

   House. 
  Bome 
  of 
  the 
  pools 
  towards 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  summer 
  get 
  very 
  much 
  over- 
  

   grown 
  with 
  water 
  plants. 
  The 
  feed 
  consists 
  of 
  the 
  native 
  life 
  from 
  the 
  tussock- 
  

   covered 
  banks, 
  flies, 
  beetles, 
  spiders, 
  and 
  numerous 
  grasshoppers, 
  while 
  the 
  

   bed 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  contains 
  smaU 
  shell-fish, 
  larvae, 
  and 
  crayfish. 
  The 
  

   native 
  minnows 
  and 
  small 
  fish 
  are 
  not 
  plentiful. 
  The 
  Lee 
  rises 
  near 
  the 
  

   Lammerlaws, 
  at 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  about 
  1,500 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  joins 
  the 
  

   Taieri 
  Eiver 
  at 
  about 
  40 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  Deep 
  Stream 
  trout 
  have 
  a 
  tendency 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  silvery 
  in 
  colour 
  tjian 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  Lee. 
  Still, 
  the 
  males 
  are 
  very 
  much 
  alike, 
  with 
  numerous 
  

   large 
  black 
  spots, 
  the 
  usual 
  number 
  of 
  large 
  red 
  ones, 
  and 
  a 
  rich 
  golden 
  

   tinge 
  over 
  their 
  sides. 
  In 
  February 
  of 
  this 
  year 
  I 
  saw 
  three 
  very 
  fine 
  trout 
  

   caught 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Pillaus 
  in 
  the 
  Deep 
  Stream, 
  with 
  minnow. 
  In 
  weight 
  they 
  

   were 
  from 
  2jlbs. 
  to 
  2jlDs. 
  ; 
  they 
  were 
  females. 
  Two 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  olive 
  

   brown 
  on 
  back, 
  silvery 
  on 
  sides 
  and 
  belly, 
  the 
  spots 
  large 
  and 
  dark, 
  but 
  not 
  

  

  